Rapper Coolio Dead at 59
Coolio, a rapper best known for songs like “Gangsta’s Paradise,” “I, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)” and “Fantastic Voyage,” died Wednesday in Los Angeles, TMZ reports.
The performer, whose given name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr., reportedly passed away while visiting a friend. An official cause of death is not yet known.
Coolio performed “Aw, Here It Goes!,” the theme song for Nickelodeon’s Kenan & Kel. He also appeared in the show’s opening credits.
He was a housemate on Season 6 of the United Kingdom’s Celebrity Big Brother and returned a few years later for Ultimate Big Brother. He also appeared on Food Network’s Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cookoff, coming in second place. His other TV work includes Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Wife Swap, The Nanny and Gravity Falls. An avid chef, Coolio at one time had his own culinary Web series called “Cookin’ With Coolio.”
In 1996, he won a Best Rap Solo Performance Grammy for “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which also appeared on the soundtrack for the Michelle Pfeiffer-starring film Dangerous Minds.
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